12 Dec 06:44
by Zhen He,
Jian Xiong,
Yingqi Zuo,
Haixu Zhao,
Fu Liu,
Qiaofei Hu,
Qiyu Yang,
Changrong Zhou,
Lin Li,
Qilin Dai,
Haibo Zhang,
Jian Zhang,
Jiang Wang
![Efficient Targeted Regulation of the Interfaces and Bulk in Inverted Perovskite Solar Cells With a [closo-B12H12]2−-based Derivative](https://advanced.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/cms/asset/3b304447-90e2-4942-8ad4-2642a7f13996/adma202414155-gra-0001-m.png)
Post-treatment involving the incorporation of a novel solution-processable [closo-B12H12]2- derivative, (TBA)2[B12H11(OCH2CH2)2OH] (TBA2B), is proposed to simultaneously optimize the interfaces and bulk of inverted perovskite solar cells. TBA2B enhances the power conversion efficiency to 25.59% while improving the stability, thereby providing valuable insights for the design of efficient [closo-B12H12]2--based interface materials and modification mechanisms.
Abstract
The performance and stability of inverted perovskite solar cells (PSCs) is adversely affected by the recombination loss, ion migration, and residual stress arising from issues within the bulk and at the cathode interface. Using simple post-treatment with a novel solution-processable derivative of the dodecahydro-closo-dodecaborate anion ([closo-B12H12]2−)—(TBA)2[B12H11(OCH2CH2)2OH] (TBA2B)—it is simultaneously address these issues. In inverted PSCs, the cationic and anionic components of TBA2B uniquely self-separate by positioning themselves precisely to perform their specific modification functions. The majority of [B12H11(OCH2CH2)2OH]2- anions reside at the (6,6)-phenyl-C61 butyric acid methyl ester (PCBM)/Ag interface, which enhances the electrical and physical contact. Additionally, a substantial fraction of tetrabutylammonium cations diffuse into the perovskite/PCBM heterojunction, enabling comprehensive control over the trap passivation, stress release, ion migration elimination, and grain boundary reinforcement through the in situ formation of 1D TBAPbI3 on the surface of the perovskite crystals. The TBA2B devices exhibit high power conversion efficiency of 25.59% and open-circuit voltage of 1.199 V, performance that is among the highest achieved with a solution-processed perovskite/PCBM heterojunction. Furthermore, TBA2B significantly enhances the device's stability. This study provides crucial insights into the design of efficient and solution processable [closo-B12H12]2−-based interface materials, and offers a comprehensive understanding of the underlying modification mechanisms.
09 Dec 03:34
by Matteo Pitaro,
Javier E. Sebastián Alonso,
Lorenzo Di Mario,
David Garcia Romero,
Karolina Tran,
Jane Kardula,
Teodor Zaharia,
Malin B. Johansson,
Erik M. J. Johansson,
Ryan C. Chiechi,
Maria A. Loi
In this work, a self-assembled bilayer comprising a covalent monolayer (Br-2PACz) and a wetting layer (4CzNH3I) as HTL in a Sn/Pb perovskite solar cell is implemented. It is demonstrated that the 4CzNH3I layer completely solves the wettability problem due to the higher polarity of the newly formed surface. The NH3
+ groups also help in the passivation of the buried interface.
Abstract
Recently, carbazole-based self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) have been utilized as hole transport layers (HTLs) in perovskite solar cells. However, their application in Sn or mixed Sn/Pb perovskite solar cells has been hindered by the poor wettability of the perovskite precursor solution on the carbazole surface. Here a self-assembled bilayer (SAB) comprising a covalent monolayer (Br-2PACz) and a noncovalent wetting layer (4CzNH3I) as the HTL in a Cs0.25FA0.75Sn0.5Pb0.5I3 perovskite solar cell is proposed. It is demonstrated that the wetting layer completely solves the problem due to the higher polarity of the surface and, furthermore, the ammonium groups help in the passivation of trap states at the buried SAB/perovskite interface. The introduction of the SAB enhances the device reproducibility with an average efficiency of 18.98 ± 0.28% (19.45% for the best device), compared to 11.54 ± 9.36% (19.34% for the best device) for the SAM-only devices. Furthermore, the improved perovskite processability on the SAB helps to increase the reproducibility of larger size device, where, a 12.5% efficiency for a 0.8 cm2 active area device compared to 0.68% for the best SAM-based solar cell is demonstrated. Finally, the device's operational stability is also improved to 358 hours (T80%), compared to 220 hours for the SAM-based solar cell.
09 Dec 03:34
by Daniel Kroh,
Stavros Athanasopoulos,
Vojtech Nádaždy,
Frank‐Julian Kahle,
Heinz Bässler,
Anna Köhler
Electrochemical impedance measurements on blends of PM6:Y6 allow to derive a binding energy of 150 meV for the CT state, even though exciton dissociation is known to be barrierless. This study illustrates how aggregation of Y6 can account for this phenomenon.
Abstract
In an endeavor to understand why the dissociation of charge-transfer (CT) states in a PM6:Y6 solar-cell is not a thermally activated process, measurements of energy-resolved impedance as well as of intrinsic photoconduction are employed. This study determines the density of states distributions of the pertinent HOMO and LUMO states and obtains a Coulomb binding energy (E
b
,
CT) of ≈150 meV. This is 250 meV lower than the value expected for a pair of localized charges with 1 nm separation. The reason is that the hole is delocalized in the polymer and the electron is shared among Y6 molecules forming a J-like aggregate. There are two key reasons why this binding energy of the CT state is not reflected in the temperature dependence of the photocurrent of PM6:Y6-diode: i) The e–h dissociation in a disordered system is a multi-step process whose activation energy is principally different from the binding energy of the CT state and can be substantially less than E
b
,
CT, and ii) since dissociation of the CT state competes with its intrinsic decay, the dissociation yield saturates once the rate of dissociation grossly exceeds the rate of intrinsic decay. This study argues that these conditions are met in a PM6:Y6-solar cell.
09 Dec 03:34
by Jesús Jiménez‐López,
Daniele Cortecchia,
E Laine Wong,
Giulia Folpini,
Antonella Treglia,
Ada Lilí Alvarado‐Leaños,
Chun‐Sheng Wu,
Andrea Olivati,
Annamaria Petrozza
Formamidinium lead iodide (FAPbI3) is the current benchmark perovskite composition for near-infrared emitters. Halide alloying with bromide in FAPbI3 reduces the activity of the detrimental interstitial iodide, obtaining perovskite compositions with improved optoelectronic properties, including improved photo-stability and reduced trapping of charge carriers. The reduced defect activity is directly probed using photo-emission electron microscopy (PEEM).
Abstract
Formamidinium lead iodide (FAPbI3) is the benchmark material for the most efficient near-infrared perovskite light-emitting diodes (LEDs) and a promising gain medium for perovskite-based coherent light sources. Thus, it is crucial to understand and control its defect chemistry to harness the full potential of its exceptional radiative recombination properties. Here, this topic is addressed by tailoring the I− to Br− ratio in the perovskite composition. It is found that introducing small Br− quantities improves the yield of radiative recombination with a beneficial impact on both spontaneous and amplified spontaneous emission (ASE) and improves the semiconductor photostability leading to reduced luminescence efficiency roll-off and enhanced radiance in LEDs. By employing photoemission electron microscopy (PEEM), this improvement in optoelectronic performance can be directly correlated to a reduced hole-trapping activity achieved by replacing iodide with bromide, thus, providing a convenient yet powerful synthetic approach to control the defect chemistry of the material and fostering its implementation in advanced photonic platforms.
09 Dec 03:33
by Zongbao Zhang,
Ran Ji,
Xiangkun Jia,
Shu‐Jen Wang,
Marielle Deconinck,
Elena Siliavka,
Yana Vaynzof
Herein, semitransparent perovskite solar cells (PSCs) with a 10 nm thick active layer are fabricated by controlling the crystallization process during the thermal evaporation of the perovskite layer. The devices show an open-circuit voltage of 1.08 V and a fill factor (FF) of 80%, reaching an efficiency of 3.6% with a high average visible transmittance of 54.2%.
Abstract
Metal halide perovskites are of great interest for application in semitransparent solar cells due to their tunable bandgap and high performance. However, fabricating high-efficiency perovskite semitransparent devices with high average visible transmittance (AVT) is challenging because of their high absorption coefficient. Here, a co-evaporation process is adopted to fabricate ultra-thin CsPbI3 perovskite films. The smooth surface and orientated crystal growth of the evaporated perovskite films make it possible to achieve 10 nm thin films with compact and continuous morphology without pinholes. When integrated into a p-i-n device structure of glass/ITO/PTAA/perovskite/PCBM/BCP/Al/Ag with an optimized transparent electrode, these ultra-thin layers result in an impressive open-circuit voltage (VOC) of 1.08 V and a fill factor (FF) of 80%. Consequently, a power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 3.6% with an AVT above 50% is demonstrated, which is the first report for a perovskite device of a 10 nm active layer thickness with high VOC, FF and AVT. These findings demonstrate that deposition by thermal evaporation makes it possible to form compact ultra-thin perovskite films, which are of great interest for future smart windows, light-emitting diodes, and tandem device applications.
09 Dec 03:32
by Fu Liu,
Bin‐Wen Chen,
Ajuan Fan,
Zuo‐Chang Chen,
Yanbiao Pan,
Zhuen Tang,
Lin‐Long Deng,
Zhou Xing,
Shu‐Hui Li
A novel series of derived fullerenes with cyanoethyl groups and diverse decorated triphenylamine groups are elaborately proposed and enable a record power conversion efficiency of 25.2% for fulleropyrrolidine electron transport materials. The underlying mechanism responsible for such a high device performance is clearly elucidated in terms of terminal, molecule, film, and device.
Abstract
Fullerene (C60) and its derivatives are the most prevalent and efficient electron transport materials (ETMs) for state-of-the-art perovskite solar cells (PSCs). Benefiting from the high performance, simple synthesis, and easy availability of raw materials, fulleropyrrolidine derivatives (FDs) are potential next-generation ETM alternatives to currently used fullerene materials. However, the power conversion efficiency (PCE) of FDs still lags far behind that of methanofullerene derivatives such as [6,6]-phenyl-C61-butyric acid methyl ester (PCBM). Moreover, the underlying mechanism remains unclear. In this work, six FD ETMs are designed and synthesized, i.e., CN-TPAX (X = H, Me, OMe, Cl, Br, I), for p-i-n PSCs, and obtained a champion PCE of over 25% for the CN-TPACl ETM, outperforming all reported FDs until now. Subsequently, their performance is systematically characterized in terms of molecular characteristics, including single-crystal structure, electronic properties, film formability/morphology, and electron dynamics, which helped reveal the terminal effects of FD ETMs on the molecular characteristics and photovoltaic performance of PSCs. This approach clarified the structure–performance relationships between the FDs and the resulting devices, highlighting the importance of the terminal design of fullerene ETMs for high-performance PSCs.
09 Dec 03:31
by Sen Yin,
Xuanang Luo,
Fushen Tang,
Wenkai Zhong,
Wenyu Yang,
Zhihui Xiong,
Youran Lin,
Feng Peng,
Lei Ying
A poly(triaryl amine) (PTAA) derivative, PTAAO6, is developed via cyclic alkoxylation with dihydrobenzo[b][1,4]dioxine. PTAAO6 exhibits extended π-conjugation, improved energy level alignment with perovskite, enhanced charge transport, and promotes high-quality perovskite crystallization. Inverted perovskite solar cells using PTAAO6 as the hole transport layer achieve a power conversion efficiency of 25.19% and excellent operational stability.
Abstract
Hole transport materials (HTMs) play a crucial role in realizing efficient perovskite solar cells (PSCs), as they improve perovskite affinity and passivation, charge transport and extraction, and ultimately the performance of PSCs. In this study, manipulating the conjugation extension in poly(triaryl amine) (PTAA) derivatives by cyclic alkoxylation of side benzene groups with benzo[d][1,3]dioxole (PTAAO5) and dihydrobenzo[b][1,4]dioxine (PTAAO6) is focused on. PTAAO6 exhibits extended π-conjugation within the side groups, leading to improved energy level alignment with perovskite and enhanced charge carrier transport compared to both PTAA and PTAAO5. This strong conjugation also promotes interactions between PTAAO6 and the perovskite, resulting in larger grain sizes with reduced defects within the perovskite layer. Therefore, PSCs incorporating PTAAO6 as the HTM achieve an outstanding power conversion efficiency of 25.19%, along with excellent operational stability, retaining 90.2% of the initial PCE after 1000 h under ISOS-L-3 testing conditions. These results underscore cyclic alkoxylation as a promising approach for tailoring polymer HTMs and provide crucial insights for designing high-performance PSCs.
09 Dec 03:30
by Nan Zhang,
Zhisheng Zhou,
Yidan An,
Feng Qi,
Ruoxi Xia,
Gengxin Du,
Tian Xia,
Lingyi Ke,
Ning Li,
Francis R. Lin,
Alex K.‐Y. Jen,
Hin‐Lap Yip
This study advances semitransparent organic photovoltaics (ST-OPVs) tailored for building integration, achieving over 30% visible light transmittance, 12.5% power conversion efficiency, and more than 90% infrared radiation rejection. These significant performance metrics highlight the potential for substantial energy savings in sustainable architecture through enhanced energy harvesting and improved heat insulation capabilities.
Abstract
Integrating semitransparent organic photovoltaics (ST-OPVs) into building structures is a promising technology that serves aesthetic purposes while retaining window functionality, and it also facilitates solar energy harvesting and heat insulation. However, balancing power conversion efficiency (PCE), visible light transmittance (VLT), infrared radiation rejection (IRR), and color rendering index (CRI) for window applications remains a significant challenge. In this study, ST-OPVs are developed that feature innovative near-infrared-absorbing materials. These devices are further coupled with an optical layer optimized through high-throughput optical modeling to fine-tune and enhance the different properties of the ST-OPVs. Specifically, ST-OPVs are achieved with a VLT of over 30%, a PCE of 12.5%, an IRR of over 90%, and a CRI of over 80. Furthermore, higher PCE of over 14% and IRR of over 95% can also be achieved, demonstrating the tunability of these photovoltaic properties. These figures highlight the exceptional performance of specialized ST-OPVs for window applications, demonstrating their dual function of generating electricity and energy saving. Additionally, simulations show that replacing traditional heat insulation films with the ST-OPVs can reduce annual energy demand by up to 60%, using Hong Kong as an example, underscoring their significant potential in sustainable building-integrated photovoltaic (BIPV) applications.
06 Dec 09:54
J. Mater. Chem. A, 2025, 13,1230-1239
DOI: 10.1039/D4TA07138G, Paper
Junye Pan, Jiahui Chen, Bingxin Duan, Yuxi Zhang, Peiran Hou, Yanqing Zhu, Min Hu, Wangnan Li, Yi-Bing Cheng, Jianfeng Lu
Herein, thermally stable ST-PSCs have been fabricated by using vacuum deposited CsPbBr3 perovskite and electron-beam evaporation deposited NiOX. Furthermore, we achieved a champion efficiency of 5.5% for 5 cm × 5 cm mini-modules with an AVT of 49.1%.
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06 Dec 09:53
Energy Environ. Sci., 2025, 18,468-477
DOI: 10.1039/D4EE01960A, Paper
Open Access
Xianfu Zhang, Botong Li, Shaochen Zhang, Zedong Lin, Mingyuan Han, Xuepeng Liu, Jianlin Chen, Weilun Du, Ghadari Rahim, Ying Zhou, Pengju Shi, Rui Wang, Pengfei Wu, Thamraa Alshahrani, Wadha Alqahtani, Norah Alahmad, Qian Wang, Bin Ding, Songyuan Dai, Mohammad Khaja Nazeeruddin, Yong Ding
The twisted spiro-type SAM 4PA-spiro effectively suppresses molecular aggregation and ensures appropriate energy levels, providing an efficiency of 25.28 and 21.87% for the p–i–n PSCs (0.05 cm2) and modules (29.0 cm2).
The content of this RSS Feed (c) The Royal Society of Chemistry
06 Dec 09:46
by Yan Zhao, Beili Pang, Shaojie Zheng, Xiangyu Kong, Mengyuan Zhao, Hongzhou Dong, Liyan Yu, and Lifeng Dong
ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces
DOI: 10.1021/acsami.4c15862
04 Dec 03:37
by Xuepeng Liu,
Xianfu Zhang,
Ying Zhou,
Weiqing Dai,
Jianlin Chen,
Olga A. Syzgantseva,
Maria A. Syzgantseva,
Botong Li,
Rahim Ghadari,
Mingyuan Han,
Weilun Du,
Zhipeng Shao,
Qian Wang,
Songyuan Dai,
Mohammad Khaja Nazeeruddin,
Yong Ding
Spiro-mCl exhibits matched energy levels with perovskite, high hole mobility and T
g value, and superior interaction with perovskite, resulting in a champion power conversion efficiency of 25.26% (certified at 24.88%) and improved device stability.
Abstract
The widely used spiro-OMeTAD exhibits moderate interaction with the perovskite layer, which does not decrease the defect on the perovskite surface, thus limiting the photoelectric performance of perovskite solar cells. In this work, the spiro-OMeTAD structure is functionalized with chlorine (Cl), resulting in a new material labeled spiro-mCl, which interacts more effectively with the perovskite and passivating interface defects. In addition, the strong electronegativity of Cl lowers the Highest Occupied Molecular Orbitals (HOMO) energy level of spiro-mCl, resulting in a better match with the valence band of perovskite. Additionally, the asymmetry introduced by Cl enhances the hole mobility and increases the glass transition temperature of spiro-mCl. As a result, the device incorporating spiro-mCl achieved an open-circuit voltage of 1.16 V and a remarkable power conversion efficiency of 25.26% (certified at 24.88%), marking it as one of the highest-performing spirobifluorene-based HTMs in PSCs. Importantly, this device also demonstrated significantly improved operational stability compared to the one utilizing spiro-OMeTAD.
04 Dec 03:36
by Bin Han,
Qi Qiu,
Yanren Tang,
Bingtao Lian,
Bo Liu,
Shukai Ding,
Shufang Ma,
Min Luo,
Wei Wang,
Bingshe Xu,
Hsien‐Yi Hsu
The study demonstrates that charge transfer (CT) is dominant in heterostructures with the same organic spacer, such as BA2PbI4/BA2MA2Pb3I10. However, substituting BA with PEA in one layer (forming BA2PbI4/PEA2MA2Pb3I10) shifts the carrier relaxation process from CT to energy transfer (ET). Density functional theory calculations attribute this shift to a modified type-II band alignment that inhibits electron-hole separation, favoring ET.
Abstract
Type-II heterostructures are crucial components in optoelectronic devices such as photovoltaics and photodetectors. Previous studies have shown that interlayer charge transfer (CT) is the dominant carrier relaxation mechanism in type-II heterostructures of 2D materials. In this study, it is demonstrated that in type-II heterostructures composed of 2D organic–inorganic hybrid perovskites (OIHPs), the conventional CT process can transition to an energy transfer (ET) process without requiring an additional charge-blocking interlayer. The results indicate that CT predominates in heterostructures in which both layers have the same organic spacer, particularly in BA2PbI4/BA2MA2Pb3I10. Notably, when the organic spacer BA is replaced with PEA in one layer of the heterostructure, that is BA2PbI4/PEA2MA2Pb3I10, the carrier relaxation process shifts from CT to ET. Although both BA2PbI4/BA2MA2Pb3I10 and BA2PbI4/PEA2MA2Pb3I10 exhibit type-II band alignment, density functional theory calculations reveal that the substitution of BA with PEA creates a novel type-II band alignment. This new alignment inhibits electron and hole separation, thereby favoring ET over CT. This study not only provides significant insight into the interlayer carrier relaxation dynamics but also is crucial for the future deterministic design of 2D OIHPs heterostructure-based optoelectronic devices.
04 Dec 03:36
by Siming Zhao,
Xueke Wu,
Zhenyu Guo,
Ya Huang,
Ruina Liu,
Zhuojing Zhao,
Jiaqi Xu,
Fei Wang,
Qinyuan Jiang,
Aike Xi,
Run Li,
Fan Lan,
Yanlong Zhao,
Rufan Zhang
Energy consumption increased rapidly in recent years, which has become a severe challenge. Especially, ≈ 10% of the total energy consumption is attributed to the system of heating, ventilation, and air conditioners of buildings to provide thermal comfort. An electro-driven radiative thermal management material with multi-colors is designed and achieved through a simple process to meet the demand for the thermal comfort and aesthetics of human beings.
Abstract
Rational dynamic thermal regulation of both solar and thermal regions is of significant importance for building energy saving. In this work, an electro-driven dynamic radiative thermal regulation material (EDRTRM) capable of switching the thermal regulation capacity between the heating, white cooling, and multicolored cooling (blue, green, and yellow) modes is designed. These multi-modes with high thermal regulation power and color variation are achieved through a synergistic material combination involving an electrochromism of Prussian blue (PB) and the electrodeposition of copper (Cu) with a polyformaldehyde (POM)-based mid-infrared (MIR) emitter. Optical characterization confirmed the superior spectral performance of materials, with a remarkable modulation capability of power density up to 659 W m−2, indicating an exceptional heating and cooling performance, which is evidenced by a temperature modulation difference of up to 11 °C. Notably, the EDRTRM under a multi-colored cooling mode also achieves a temperature reduction of ≈ 4–6 °C. The EnergyPlus simulations demonstrate that the EDRTRM can save a huge amount of energy consumption of 16.56 MJ m−2 in cities with seasonal temperature variations such as Beijing. This dual-functional design not only maximizes thermal regulation capabilities but also satisfies aesthetic requirements, showcasing its potential for widespread practical application.
04 Dec 03:31
Energy Environ. Sci., 2024, Accepted Manuscript
DOI: 10.1039/D4EE04036H, Paper
Open Access
Sarmad Feroze, Andreas Distler, Lirong Dong, Michael Wagner, Iftikhar Ahmed Channa, Felix Hoga, Christoph J Brabec, Hans Joachim Egelhaaf
Recently, organic photovoltaics (OPV) have achieved power conversion efficiencies (PCE) above 20% thus coming closer to market entry. Building-integrated photovoltaics (BIPV) and building-attached photovoltaics (BAPV) are two key areas where...
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02 Dec 13:32
by Samrana Kazim,
Junyi Huang,
Muhammed P.U. Haris,
Xiongjie Li,
Xiaotang Shi,
Zhiguo Zhang,
Rüdiger Berger,
Thierry Buffeteau,
Dario M. Bassani,
Mingkui Wang,
Shahzada Ahmad
Multifunctional heteroatom-based additives increase the thermodynamic stability of the perovskites and induce crystallinity, and grain size increases, which in turn pushes the performance and shows unparalleled stability against high relative humidity. The influence of sulfur heteroatom-containing amidinium salts with iodide and bromide ends on the photo-physical and device properties of a formamidinium-rich perovskite absorber is uncovered.
Abstract
Sulfur-based multifunctional additives are attractive for increasing not only the device power conversion efficiency but also the moisture stability of perovskite solar cells. The stability of the device against external and internal stress plays a pivotal role in the commercial endeavor of emerging technologies such as perovskite photovoltaics. However, the potential of sulfur-based additives remains largely unexplored for perovskite solar cell fabrication. Here, a mechanism is deduced for the local nanoscopic humidity ingression into a multifunctional additiviated formamidinium-loaded halide perovskites. By tuning the iodide and bromide tails of the additives, the influence of sulfur heteroatom containing ammonium-amidinium salts on the photo-physical and device properties of a formamidinium-rich perovskite absorber is uncovered. In addition, the process of strong water adsorption is excluded through the proton-migration mechanism, thereby significantly improving the moisture resistance of perovskite films. The high crystallinity and long lifetime decay allow a higher PCE of 25.14% to be achieved compared to the control at 22.49%, along with improved long-term stability by retaining 99.6% of the initial PCE after 1000 h.
02 Dec 13:28
by Zhong‐En Shi,
Kalidass Kollimalaian,
Jun‐Kai Peng,
Chi‐Wei Lin,
Wei‐Tao Peng,
Bing‐Huang Jiang,
Yu Hsuan Lin,
Lan‐Yu Yang,
Yu‐Chen Lin,
Parthasarathy Venkatakrishnan,
Yuan Jay Chang,
Chih‐Ping Chen
The carbazole-fused propeller-shaped non-planar hexaarylbenzene (HAB)-based compound K5-36, used as a hole selective layer in combination with the SAM of 4PADCB and hybrid perovskite in a p-i-n PSC device, induced the growth of larger perovskite grains and effectively suppressed non-radiative recombination. Notably, the best PCE reached 42.02% under dim-light conditions, demonstrating competitive potential comparable to high-efficiency PSCs.
Abstract
The study designs and synthesizes non-planar, propeller-shaped hexaarylbenzene-type (HAB) compound K5-36 and hexa-peri-hexabenzocoronene (HBC)-based K5-13 (with a cyclized core), as cost-effective and high-yielding hole selective layers (HSLs) for perovskite solar cells (PSC). Using a p–i–n device structure with ITO/4PADCB/HAB or HBC (with or without)/perovskite/PDADI/PC61BM/BCP/Ag, the interaction is investigated between the synthesized materials and self-assembled monolayer (4PADCB) elucidating mechanisms influencing the growth of wide bandgap Cs0.18FA0.82Pb(I0.8Br0.2)3 perovskite. K5-36 facilitates the growth of wide perovskite films with larger grains and lower defect density, while promoting energy level alignment at the HSL/perovskite interface. These modifications effectively suppressed non-radiative recombination, resulting in a higher open-circuit voltage of 1.2V and a power conversion efficiency (PCE) exceeding 20% under AM 1.5G conditions. Under 3000K LED (1000 lux) illumination, the PCE of 4PADCB/K5-36-based PSCs significantly increased from 38.02 ± 0.38% (4PADCB PSC) to 41.80 ± 0.57%. Moreover, PSCs incorporating 4PADCB/K5-36- and 4PADCB/K5-13- demonstrate exceptional stability, retaining ≈88.5% and 98.2% of their initial PCE after 70 days of storage in a glove box. These findings highlight the potential of polyarene-based HSLs as a promising approach for improving PSC efficiency and stability.
02 Dec 13:28
by Qiang Zhang,
Hanyue Gao,
Luzhuo Li,
Yu Shen,
Mingyu Zuo,
Guanghao Lu,
Xiaofu Wu,
Yanchun Han
Two bromothiazole solid additives, 2,5-dibromothiazol (DBrTz) and 2-bromo-5-iodothiazol (BrITz), are added into PM6:L8-BO blends to improve the film-forming kinetics and enhance molecular aggregation. The working mechanism of DBrTz is “enhanced aggregation in pseudo-dry film,” which facilitates L8-BO in achieving compact stacking, optimizes face-on orientation and vertical phase separation of the active layer, ultimately resulting in an efficiency of 19.4%.
Abstract
Regulating the morphology and molecular ordering of the active layer is crucial for developing high-performance organic solar cells (OSCs). However, enhancing the molecular stacking is challenging as non-fullerene acceptors (NFAs) are confined within the polymer network owing to the well donor/acceptor miscibility and fast solvent evaporation. Herein, the 2,5-dibromothiazol (DBrTz) removable solid additive is chosen to optimize the film-forming kinetics for enhancing molecular aggregation of the PM6:L8-BO blends. During the film formation process, chloroform evaporates first, trapping DBrTz in the film (pseudo-dry film state). Thereafter, DBrTz will gradually volatilize, persistently prompting the L8-BO to stack and aggregate orderly until the volatilization of DBrTz is completed. The behavior is designated as “enhanced aggregation in pseudo-dry film,” an occurrence hitherto unobserved in other solid additives. This results in more compact π–π stacking and orderly long-range aggregation of L8-BO. Furthermore, DBrTz facilitated increased face-on orientations and improved vertical component distributions. This optimized morphology facilitates charge generation, transport, and extraction. Consequently, DBrTz-processed PM6:L8-BO OSCs achieved a power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 19.4%. This work elucidates the principles of solid additives and offers valuable insights for fostering the development of novel additives to improve the morphology and the efficiency of OSCs.
02 Dec 13:28
by Anupam Sadhu,
Teddy Salim,
Qingde Sun,
Stener Lie,
Edwin Julianto,
Lydia H. Wong
In this work, Cu(In0.3Ga0.7)3S5 is developed as a novel hole transport layer (HTL) for perovskite solar cells. Careful cation management of the HTL significantly enhances the interfacial defect properties and lead to a 3.5× improvement in the T80 (the time to retain 80% of the initial efficiency) lifetime of the solar cell device compared to conventional NiO HTL-based devices.
Abstract
Copper-chalcogenide-based inorganic holetransport layers (HTLs) are widely studied in perovskite solar cells (PSCs) because of their favorable valence band maximum and their ability to passivate interfacial defects through Pb-S interactions. These compounds are shown to produce stable PSCs because of their high intrinsic stability. However, the density functional theory (DFT) calculations and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analysis presented here reveal that the presence of Cu in the HTL can weaken the interfacial Pb-S interactions and compromise the device stability. A clear inverse relationship is observed between the stability of perovskite film and the Cu-concentration in the HTL underneath. Therefore, to minimize the detrimental effect of Cu, this work explores Cu-deficient chalcopyrite compounds, CuIn3S5 and Cu(InxGa(1-x))3S5, as HTLs for PSCs, which results in improved device stability. DFT calculations reveal that incorporating gallium into the HTL reduces the HTL-perovskite interfacial energy, which results in further enhancement of device stability. The average T80 lifetimes (the time to retain 80% of the initial efficiency) under ambient conditions for the NiO, CuIn3S5, and Cu(In0.3Ga0.7)3S5 HTL-based devices are 200, 449, and 656 h, respectively. These findings underscore the significant roles of cations and anions of the inorganic transport layer in enhancing the stability of the PSCs.
02 Dec 13:28
by Senke Tan,
Rui Zeng,
Jiawei Deng,
Fei Han,
Yi Lin,
Fan Xu,
Lixuan Kan,
Zheng Tang,
Yufei Gong,
Ming Zhang,
Lei Zhu,
Guanqing Zhou,
Xingyu Gao,
Xiaojun Li,
Xiaonan Xue,
Hao Jing,
Yongming Zhang,
Shengjie Xu,
Feng Liu
A series of dimeric acceptors linked by various central linkers are synthesized and analyzed. The structure-performance relationship of linkers shows that employing a strong electron-donating linker to connect oligomeric acceptors is a promising strategy for molecular design. The best device based on PM6:DY-EDOT exhibits an outstanding PCE of 18.21%, offering a reliable approach for high efficiency and stable OSCs.
Abstract
Dimerized acceptors show promise in combining the high performance of small-molecule non-fullerene acceptors (NFAs) with the excellent stability of polymer acceptors. The central linking units that connect two acceptor molecules together have a profound impact on dimeric acceptor properties and structure-performance relationships in blended thin films. It is seen that different linkers significantly affect the electronic properties and morphology in blended thin film. The electron-donating linker elevates the absorption coefficient, affords a lower bandgap, and reduces energy loss, and thus better photovoltaic device performance. Better fibrillar morphology can be obtained. The best material DY-EDOT-based device shows a power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 18.21%, an open-circuit voltage (V
oc) of 0.924 V, a short-circuit current density (J
sc) of 25.20 mA cm−2, a fill factor (FF) of 78.19%, which is among the highest value for dimerized acceptors. This study reveals the fundamental importance of linker units in determining the dimerized acceptor properties and provides useful strategies for developing oligomeric and polymeric acceptors, which is critical in simultaneously improving the performance and stability of organic solar cells (OSCs).
02 Dec 13:27
by Jialun Jin,
Zhihao Zhang,
Shengli Zou,
Fangfang Cao,
Yuanfang Huang,
Yiting Jiang,
Zhiyu Gao,
Yuliang Xu,
Junyu Qu,
Xiaoxue Wang,
Cong Chen,
Chuanxiao Xiao,
Shengqiang Ren,
Dewei Zhao
Strain engineering strategy using FBZABr as additive reduces the residual compressive strain in FASnI3 films, which alleviates the dislocations within perovskites to enhance carrier transport and simultaneously reduce the defect density to prolong carrier lifetime, enabling Sn-based perovskite solar cells with a champion efficiency of over 14%.
Abstract
Tin (Sn)-based perovskites have emerged as promising alternatives to lead (Pb)-based perovskites in thin-film photovoltaics due to their comparable properties and reduced toxicity. Strains in perovskites can be tailored to modulate their optoelectronic properties, but mechanisms for the effects of strains on Sn-based perovskite films and devices are unrevealed and corresponding strain engineering is unexplored. Herein, a strain engineering strategy is developed through incorporating 4-fluorobenzylammonium halide salts (FBZAX, X = I, Br, Cl) into the perovskite precursor to regulate the strain effects in resultant Sn-based perovskite films. It is found that a moderate level of compressive strain achieved by FBZABr alleviates the dislocations within perovskites to enhance carrier transport and reduces the defect density to prolong carrier lifetime. These improvements enable a champion efficiency exceeding 14% of Sn-based perovskite solar cells with excellent operational stability.
02 Dec 04:22
by Pengfei Ding,
Zhenyu Chen,
Daobin Yang,
Xueliang Yu,
Jingyu Shi,
Yiyu Chen,
Jintao Zhu,
Jie Wu,
Xinyue Cao,
Lin Xie,
Fei Chen,
Ziyi Ge
U-shaped dimeric acceptors, 5-IDT and 6-IDT, are introduced into the binary OSCs as a third component. The efficiencies of 6-IDT– and 5-IDT-treated OSCs are significantly improved to 19.32% and 19.96%, respectively. Moreover, the smaller molecular length of 5-IDT can well stabilize the phase-separated morphology of the active layer, thereby significantly improving the thermal stability.
Abstract
Despite significant improvements in power conversion efficiencies (PCEs) of organic solar cells (OSCs), achieving excellent stability remains a great challenge to their commercial feasibility. Here, U-shaped dimeric acceptors (5-IDT and 6-IDT) with different molecular lengths are introduced into the binary OSCs as a third component, respectively. The introduction of the third component effectively reduces the energetic disorder and non-radiative voltage losses and improves the exciton dissociation and charge transport of the devices. Consequently, the PCEs of the 6-IDT- and 5-IDT-treated OSCs are significantly improved to 19.32% and 19.96%, respectively, which is the highest PCE for oligomeric acceptors-based ternary OSCs to date. Meanwhile, the thermal stability of the treated devices is dramatically improved, with the initial efficiency retention of the 6-IDT- and 5-IDT-treated devices increasing from 18% to 32% and 75%, respectively, after 1000 h of thermal stress. This is mainly attributed to the ability of the smaller molecular length of 5-IDT to stabilize the phase-separated morphology of the polymeric donor and small molecular acceptor, rather than the high glass transition temperature and low diffusion coefficient.
02 Dec 04:20
by Tianhao Wu,
Telugu Bhim Raju,
Juan Shang,
Lifang Wu,
Jun Tae Song,
Chathuranganie A. M. Senevirathne,
Aleksandar Staykov,
Shenghao Wang,
Shintaro Ida,
Naoyuki Shibayama,
Tsutomu Miyasaka,
Toshinori Matsushima,
Zhanglin Guo
A self-assembled molecule semiconductor that possesses a matching size with perovskite lattice and a large anchoring strength has been developed as the hole-selective contact toward efficient and long-term stable n-i-p perovskite solar cells.
Abstract
Exploiting the self-assembled molecules (SAMs) as hole-selective contacts has been an effective strategy to improve the efficiency and long-term stability of perovskite solar cells (PSCs). Currently, research works are focusing on constructing SAMs on metal oxide surfaces in p-i-n PSCs, but realizing a stable and dense SAM contact on halide perovskite surfaces in n-i-p PSCs is still challenging. In this work, the hole-selective molecule for n-i-p device is developed featuring a terephthalic methylammonium core structure that possesses double-site anchoring ability and a matching diameter (6.36 Å) with the lattice constant of formamidinium lead iodide (FAPbI3) perovskite (6.33 Å), which facilitates an ordered and full-coverage SAM atop FAPbI3 perovskite. Moreover, theoretical calculations and experimental results indicate that compared to the frequently used acid or ester anchoring groups, this ionic anchoring group with a dipolar charge distribution has much larger adsorption energy on both organic halide terminated and lead halide terminated surfaces, resulting in synergistic improvement of carrier extraction and defect passivation ability. Benefiting from these merits, the efficiency of PSCs is increased from 21.68% to 24.22%. The long-term operational stability under white LED illumination (100 mW cm−2) and at a high temperature of 85 °C is also much improved.
02 Dec 04:19
by Ming Yang,
Yang Bai,
Yuanyuan Meng,
Ruijia Tian,
Kexuan Sun,
Xiaoyi Lu,
Haibin Pan,
Jingnan Wang,
Shujing Zhou,
Jing Zhang,
Zhenhua Song,
Yaohua Wang,
Chang Liu,
Ziyi Ge
In this study, thiomalic acid (TA) is introduced into the perovskite precursor solution to suppress defects caused by light-induced iodide ion migration, thereby enhancing the photo-stability of Sn-Pb perovskites. The sulfhydryl group on TA can resist oxygen corrosion, which also imparts good air stability to the Sn-Pb perovskite. Ultimately, it is fabricated a two-terminal all-perovskite tandem solar cell that achieved a power conversion efficiency of 28.6% with improved operational stability.
Abstract
Research on mixed Sn-Pb perovskite solar cells (PSCs) is gaining significant attention due to their potential for high efficiency in all-perovskite tandem solar cells. However, Sn2+ in Sn-Pb perovskite is susceptible to oxidation, leading to a high defect density. The oxidation primarily occurs through two pathways: one involving a reaction with oxygen, and the other related to iodine defects, which generate I2 and further accelerate the oxidation of Sn2⁺, greatly reducing stability. First, to tackle the photo-stability issues caused by iodine defects, amber acid (AA) is screened as the additive. The Carboxyl group on AA can strongly coordinate with Sn2+, reinforcing the Sn─I bond and electrostatically interacting with negatively charged defects. This interaction inhibits the photoinduced formation of I2 and the subsequent oxidation of Sn2+, thereby enhancing the stability of Sn─Pb PSCs under continuous illumination. Building on the foundation of AA, a reductive sulfhydryl group is introduced to synthesize thiomalic acid (TA). It inhibits the formation of Sn4+ in both the perovskite precursor and the perovskite film, thereby improving air stability while maintaining strong photostability. Consequently, single PSCs achieved a champion efficiency of 22.7%. The best-performing two-terminal all-perovskite tandem solar cell achieved a power conversion efficiency of 28.6% with improved operational stability.
02 Dec 03:43
J. Mater. Chem. A, 2025, 13,4100-4106
DOI: 10.1039/D4TA06871H, Paper
Jin-Won Lee, Joshua Sraku Adu, Raphael E. Agbenyeke, Jude Laverock, Alice Sheppard, Eunyoung Park, Youngwoong Kim, Soonil Hong, Nam Joong Jeon, David J. Fermin, Helen Hejin Park
A plasma-modified ALD (PMALD) approach has been developed for depositing SnOx thin-films with a tunable composition as electron extraction layers in perovskite solar modules using poly(triarylamine) (PTAA) as the hole transport layer.
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02 Dec 03:42
Chem. Sci., 2024, Advance Article
DOI: 10.1039/D4SC05517A, Edge Article
Open Access
Krishna Mishra, Zehua Wu, Christian Erker, Klaus Müllen, Thomas Basché
Deuteration suppresses the weakly temperature dependent internal conversion (IC) and turns dibenzoterrylene molecules into bright single photon emitters, in agreement with the predictions of the well-known energy-gap law.
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02 Dec 03:39
Energy Environ. Sci., 2024, Accepted Manuscript
DOI: 10.1039/D4EE01960A, Paper
Open Access
Xianfu Zhang, Botong Li, Shaochen Zhang, Zedong Lin, Mingyuan Han, Xuepeng Liu, Jianlin Chen, Weilun Du, Rahim Ghadari, Ying Zhou, Pengju Shi, Rui Wang, Pengfei Wu, T. Alshahrani, Wadha Alqahtani, Norah Alahmad, Qian Wang, Bin Ding, Songyuan Dai, Mohammad Khaja Nazeeruddin, Yong Ding
Self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) have significantly contributed to the advancement of hole-transporting materials (HTMs) for inverted perovskite solar cells (PSCs). However, the non-uniform distribution of SAMs on the substrate largely decreases...
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02 Dec 03:39
Energy Environ. Sci., 2024, Advance Article
DOI: 10.1039/D4EE04628E, Paper
Huifeng Li, Hehe Huang, Du Li, Xuliang Zhang, Chenyu Zhao, Xinyu Zhao, Wanli Ma, Jianyu Yuan
Interfacial engineering has proven to be extremely important for colloidal quantum dot (QD) solar cells.
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02 Dec 03:39
Energy Environ. Sci., 2024, Accepted Manuscript
DOI: 10.1039/D4EE02917H, Review Article
Open Access
Jiahua Tao, Chunhu Zhao, Zhaojin Wang, You Chen, Lele Zang, Guang Yang, Yang Bai, Junhao Chu
Perovskite solar cells (PSCs) have emerged as prominent contenders in photovoltaic technologies, reaching a certified efficiency of 26.7%. Nevertheless, the current record efficiency is still far below the theoretical Shockley-Queisser...
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02 Dec 03:37
Energy Environ. Sci., 2024, Accepted Manuscript
DOI: 10.1039/D4EE03208J, Paper
Wenbo Peng, Yong Zhang, Xianyong Zhou, Jiawen Wu, Deng Wang, Geping Qu, Jie Zeng, Yintai Xu, Bo Jiang, Peide Zhu, Yifan Du, Zhitong Li, Xia Lei, Zhixin Liu, Lei Yan, Xingzhu Wang, Baomin Xu
The optimization of buried interface is crucial for achieving high efficiency in inverted perovskite solar cells (PSCs), owing to their role in facilitating hole transport and passivating the buried interface...
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